In January, our groups will merge to form Las Vegas Adobe User Group and continue under that name. If you have not joined the main group, please do so now.

We'd like to thank John Olson and Deb Havre for their dedicated service to the Las Vegas AUG. John and Deb are stepping down as co-managers of Las Vegas AUG after many years of service. In light of this, the current group managers have decided to consolidate VegasPUG and Las Vegas AUG into one group starting in January. The group will continue under the Las Vegas AUG name and will focus on Print and Photography plus other Adobe software not adressed by the Flash and Dreamweaver Groups. John and Deb will continue to attend meetings and advise Krystal and Nate, who will manage the merged LVAUG group. -- Krystal Hosmer

“Going Beyond the Expected” is designed to challenge you to be unique in ways that will help you stand out from your competition. Come and learn approaches to creating with your digital tools that you may not have thought about.

This workshop is designed to get you to think on your feet as creatives. Most workshop series are designed to give you a series of tips and tricks or simple workflows designed to showcase the capability of the software. In this workshop we will create artistic concepts from beginning to end using the new features and workflow of Creative Suite with the goal that you understand those digital tools so that you create intuitively.

During this workshop the concept of creating uniquely comes first where you will get to see into my mind as to how and why I use my digital tools of choice to finalize my creations.

I will share how you can formulate your ideas while in the field with a Ipad or mobile tablet and how Adobe Cloud can assist with that. In other words I will actually create and organize my creative content to be stored on the cloud as the source to pulling together my artistic visions.

Then we will create artistic pieces using photography, painting, 3D & compositing approaches in Photoshop CS6 to formulate our vision.

Courtesy of our friends on the Creative Suite product team, there’s a special sweepstakes being run that you’re invited to participate in! Details (and the Fine Print) follow:

Share what you can do with CS5 or CS5.5 that you couldn’t do before for a chance to win a CS5.5 suite of choice and a BlackBerry PlayBook!

We’re excited to announce our "Keep it Fresh" sweepstakes! We want to know your CS5 story, and are looking to you to highlight how CS5 or CS5.5 enables you to do more than you could with previous versions of CS. Ultimately, we want to hear about your work and how CS5 has helped you fuel your creativity in ways you simply haven’t been able to do before.

Submit your story for a chance to win one of two prizes: a CS5.5 suite of choice AND a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (first prize) or a CS5.5 suite of choice!

Once you’ve submitted your story, you’ll be provided with a link that will take you straight to your entry. Feel free to share this with your communities online!

HOW DO YOU ENTER?Simply click on the following link: http://bit.ly/hayZkm. Submit a photo, some artwork, a story or video showing use of a CS5 or CS5.5 feature that didn’t exist with previous versions of Creative Suite.

PRIZESTwo winners will be chosen in a random drawing and will be announced on June 1st , 2011.

CONTEST TIMELINEThe sweepstakes officially opens April 20, and ends on May 31st AT 11:59 p.m. PT, so be sure to submit your story ASAP.Looking forward to seeing all your work and hearing about all of your CS5/CS5.5 experiences!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT INFLUENCE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. SWEEPSTAKES IS OPEN ONLY TO MEMBERS OF THE ADOBE CS AMBASSADOR GROUP AND MEMBERS OF THE ADOBE COMMUNITY GROUP, AGE 18 OR OLDER. The Creative Suite Keep It Fresh Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) opens April 20, 2011 at 12:00am P.D.T and closes May 31st, 2011 at 11:59am P.D.T. The winner’s name will be randomly drawn from all entries received. Participation constitutes entrant’s full unconditional agreement and acceptance of these Official Rules. Sweepstakes is sponsored by Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 (“Adobe” or “Sponsor”)

(1) ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open to members of the Adobe CS Ambassador Group and to members of the Adobe Community Groups & Influencers, eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the date of entry. Open to residents and businesses in North America only. Employees, independent contractors, officers, and directors of Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising promotion and fulfillment agencies, legal advisors, and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household of such persons are not eligible to participate in the Sweepstakes. Residents of jurisdictions prohibiting such promotions should consider this offer void. (2) HOW TO ENTER: Participants may enter the Sweepstakes by submitting a story about what you can do in Creative Suite 5 or Creative Suite 5.5 that you couldn’t do before (“Submissions”) at http://adobecs.zuberance.com/story/index/24631680Submissions will be hosted: http://adobecs.demo.zubops.net/storyList/index. Late, incomplete, illegible/unintelligible entries are not eligible. To be eligible for the drawing, all entries must be received by 11:59 PM P.S.T. on May 31, 2011. §§

(3) PRIZES: The first randomly selected winner will receive their choice of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium, Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium or Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium and a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The second randomly selected winner will receive choice of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium, Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium or Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium. No alternative prize or other substitution is permitted except by Sponsor in the event of prize unavailability. Prize is non-transferable. All federal, state and/or local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Winner is also responsible for internet access fees and service charges.

(4) SELECTION OF WINNER: The winner will be determined by random drawing of all eligible entries received by 11:59p.m. P.S.T. on May 31, 2011 and will be conducted by the Sponsor. Odds of winning a prize are based on the number of eligible entries received (estimated 2 in 3,200). Winner will be notified by e-mail at which time a full shipping address and phone number will be required for fulfillment of the prize. Winner will have 15 days from notification to accept the prize by replying to notification e-mail or telephone call. SPONSOR is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to notify the winner. All taxes on prizes, including income taxes, and any incidental expenses associated with collection of a prize are the responsibility of the winner. Winners assume all liability for any damages caused or claimed to be caused by participation or by any prize and release SPONSOR from any such liability. Winner may be required to sign and return a release of liability, declaration or affidavit of eligibility within 15 days of receipt by winner as a condition of receiving the prize. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, or fails to timely return the completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prizes may be forfeited and an alternative winner selected. Prizes will be sent no later than 6 weeks after draw date. By accepting the prize winner agrees to the use of the winner’s name, Submission, voice or likeness, for the purpose of trade, advertising, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

(5) GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Conduct of Sweepstakes and selection of winners are in Sponsor’s sole discretion, and Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding. Agents and representatives of SPONSOR, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors are not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, or postage-due entries; (ii) any condition caused by events beyond the control of SPONSOR that may cause the Sweepstakes to be disrupted or corrupted; (iii) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Sweepstakes; (iv) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of the prize, or acceptance, possession, or use of the prize, or from participation in the Sweepstakes. By participating, each entrant agrees to release and hold SPONSOR and the employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives of SPONSOR, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies, and legal advisors, harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with the Sweepstakes or resulting from entrant’s participation, acceptance, possession, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy. Entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and by the decisions of SPONSOR, whose decisions are final. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights obligations of entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction), that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction other than the State of California.

(6) WINNER’S LIST: A winner’s will be announced via email to the members of the Adobe CS Ambassadors Group and to the members of the Adobe Community Group after May 31st, 2011. Winner information will also be posted on openly within LinkedIn Group for the Ambassadors as a discussion topic after May 31st, 2011.

We had a great time yesterday shooting and learning a bit of Las Vegas' early days the the Historis Old Mormon Fort. The event was organized by eurie creative, The Mormon Fort Staff, and Nate Ludens. Great job! It was a great day for shooting. More pics from the event are on the facebok page at: